The Cost of Parental Assistance

While getting some post-adulthood help from your 'rents might keep you from struggling—or, at least, allow you to blow off a bit of dough on a girls' trip or new sweater without worrying about the impact on your bank account—it might keep you from really understanding the value of a dollar.

A new study by the University of California, Merced, found that while parents' financial help makes it more likely that students will graduate from college, it also causes them to have lower GPAs. So, while students were able to finish school because of help from The Bank of Mom and Dad, they didn't appear to try as hard as, perhaps, student who shouldered their education bills themselves. Of course, some of us can't afford to go to school without assistance from our folks (*raises hand*), but there may be benefits to getting by solo, if that's your only option.

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Think of it this way: If your parents are constantly helping you out—helping with your crazy-high credit card bill, loaning you dough for a down payment on a car, covering your health insurance even when you have the funds to do so yourself—you may be less likely to appreciate what that money buys, than if you're the one actually footing the bill.

That's not to say that those of us who get help, or have had help, are totally spoiled and have no sense of reality when it comes to money. But, for those slaving away to pay rent—or saving up for a big purchase—take pride in the fact that it might mean more to be able to afford your life all on you own.